Brook Farm

Brook Farm, Chapel Lane

Brook Farm was one of many in Chaddesden created after the enclosure of 1791-93 concentrated the land ownership in the hands of a few. The new landowners divided their holdings into farms with each let to a tenant to manage the land on their behalf.

Brook Farm was part of the Wilmot Estate. It was named from the Lees Brook which flows through the farm to converge with a watercourse that once drained Field Farm. From this point the brook marked the western boundary of the farm and the name changes to Chaddesden Brook. A stone above the door of one of the outbuildings, since demolished, bore the initials HSW and date 1848. HSW is believed to refer to Henry Sacheverel Wilmot of Chaddesden Hall.

In the 1861 Census Brook Farm was listed as being farmed by Samuel Goodwin, a farmer and butcher from Chaddesden. One of his farm servants was a Henry Bowley from Leicester. Looking back on the previous census, Samuel is described as farming 108 acres and employing 3 men. He was still farming there in 1871 and 1881. By 1891 his niece, Ann G Martin, who had lived and worked at the farm with the family for at least 40 years, was listed as a farmer in her own right. Samuel had by then retired to a cottage in the village.

In Kelly’s Directory of Derby in 1895 the farm was occupied by William Jackson, and in 1912 by Raymond and Harold Willetts. At some time between 1912 and 1921 tenancy of the farm passed to Arthur Lea. He had previously been the licensee of the Sir Charles Napier Inn in Brook Street Derby. He put the contents of farm for sale by auction on 19 March 1923. A copy of the sale catalogue may be seen below. According to Kelly’s Directory, Lizzie Ann Osbond was farming Brook Farm in 1925 and was still there in 1932. In 1941, Sidney Burton Goodwin was the occupier.

The last known occupants of Brook Farm were Edwin (Ted) Mortimer Morten and his wife Eunice (nee Bowley) of Chaddesden. Edwin was the the grandson of Edwin Morten, a farmer in Beeley, and son of Mortimer and Hettie Morten who married at Chapel-en-le-Frith in 1906. Edwin and Eunice married in 1950 and moved into Brook Farm. After their marriage they were very much a part of the Chaddesden community. Eunice was a member of Chaddesden Women’s Institute, and the craft group members often used the farm for their meetings. Members still remember the many rooms and passages which they had to negotiate to reach the bathroom! The buildings were also used by members of the Chesapeake Road Methodist Church for picnics, barn dances etc. Eunice and Ted were very involved with the church where Ted played the organ.

After Ted and Eunice left in 1986, the farm was sold to a developer. The farm buildings were split into separate residential units and renovated in keeping with their original design.

Brook Farm Sale Catalogue 19 March 1923 prepared by John Wilkinson & son (auctioneers).
Catalogue donated by Mrs McKay.

Map of Brook Farm prepared by William Bishop (auctioneer and valuer) for sale by auction on 8 August 1941.
Advertised in Derby Evening Telegraph 19 July 1941 as "BROOK FARM. A most desireable dairy farm of 54½ acres, with good Homestead and accredited buildings, to be offered with Vacant Possession under instructions from Mr S.B. Goodwin."
Map donated by Michael Morten.

The Lees Brook is described in detail in Chaddesden Historical Group Newsletter 81.

Date stone HSW 1848

Photographed in November 2010

The Stables: above photographed by Margaret Poyser in 1986 below on 15 November 2010.

Brook Farm dairy (left) photographed by Margaret Poyser in 1986 (right) on 15 November 2010.